Washington Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs

Whether you are interested in serving your community as a whole or counseling individuals Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs offer an array of fascinating academic disciplines. Public Affairs programs are concerned with issues such as policy development and analysis, economics and government, public health and concerns of society. Social science is focused on society and the relationships between people within their society.

Choosing to earn a graduate degree in any of the Public Affairs and Social Sciences fields may give you the opportunity to research, refine your knowledge, improve your analytical and leadership skills to take you to the next level of study or career.

Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Programs: Basics

Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Degree Programs are available as graduate certificates, masters and doctorate degrees. Graduate level education often requires completion of an internship and thesis or dissertation, depending on the level of study. Each Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate degree offers more advanced and in-depth study, and a curriculum appropriate to that subject and could require a specific undergraduate degree.

Types Of Graduate Degrees and Programs

There are many types of Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate degrees to choose from. Choose your subject from the directory on the left to help narrow down your selection or browse some popular subjects below:

Masters Degrees: If you are approaching grad school with an undergraduate degree, a masters program typically provides an opportunity to concentrate on an area of interest. Choose your subject from the directory to review listings in that category. For instance, if you select public Administration and Policy, some of the listings might include: Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Public Policy and Administration: Concentration in Social Change Leadership.

Graduate CertificatesPost-master’s graduate certificates allow grads to fine tune specific skill-sets and may be attractive to currently working students as a way to boost credentials. Some of your many options may include: Graduate Certificate in Public Administration, Advanced Conflict Resolution Practice Graduate Certificate, Counseling, 6th year and Graduate Certificate of Completion in Human Factors Psychology.

What are Public Affairs Graduate Programs?

Public Affairs graduate programs prepare students to serve society as well, but through public service, civic engagement, politics, communications, and non-profit areas. These programs offer leadership and decision-making skills to equip graduates to operate in the public interest, as well as address social needs and concerns. If you are looking for a graduate degree in a Public Affairs field, you might review:

Conflict & Peace Studies

Emergency Management

Environmental Management/policy

Human Services

International Relations

Non-profit Administration

Political Science/military

Public Administration and Policy (Government, labor relations. Public administration, public policy)

What Are Social and Behavioral Sciences Graduate Programs?

Social sciences are often associated with behavioral sciences in that they explore the activities and interactions among human beings. Many social and behavioral science disciplines are relevant to the understanding of the mission of public health but they differ on their level of scientific analysis of behavior. Social science graduate students will analyze how human behavior can create ripple effects in behavior, economics and environment. If you visualize ‘Social Sciences’ as a tree, the main branches include[ii]:

The behavioral sciences, particularly psychology, are concerned with the study of the actions of humans and animals. A Behavioral Science degree connects the natural sciences with the social sciences.

DID YOU KNOW?

Coursework in statistics, program management and policy analysis is considered helpful if you aspire to work in social and community services management[i]

Choosing a Public Affairs and Social Sciences Graduate Program Format

Once you've narrowed down your subject selection, select your format type. Most programs are offered either online, on-campus or as a hybrid. Hybrid is sometimes referred to as partially online as there are some onsite requirements but most of the courses are offered remotely. Another great way to find graduate schools with the type of social science or public affairs graduate degree you seek is by location. Use the city, state or country tabs for a full selection of colleges and universities in your preferred area.

Both Program and Institutional accreditation are important, and should play a role in selecting a graduate program in social sciences or public affairs. There are different agencies committed to this process. You can check the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)[iii]. In the case of Public Affairs Graduate Programs, you can also check with NASPPA[iv]

Take the Next Step

Whether you are interested in the behavioral and social sciences, want to specialize in neuroscience, gerontology or public policy, a graduate degree may help shape your future professional life. Public Affairs Social Science Graduate programs offer you the opportunity to move away from more generalized study, and potentially prepare you for a bright future in any number of possible career paths.

Saybrook University

A career-focused, online hybrid clinical psychology program with practicum training, Saybrook’s MA in Psychology with a specialization in Marriage & Family Therapy/Professional Clinical Counseling focuses on career opportunities while rema...

As a student in the Psychology degree program within the School of Psychology & Interdisciplinary (PII) at Saybrook University, you can tailor your experiential learning goals and courses to meet your individual needs and interests.

The Ph.D. program in Experimental Psychology at Washington State University is among the oldest in the West. The Program has an established reputation for producing well-trained psychologists who contribute to basic and applied experimental psycholo...

Anthropology is the holistic study of humankind. Anthropologists are interested in understanding the diverse cultures of the world, the prehistory of these cultures, the relationships between biology and culture, and the impact of language on our pe...

The Ph.D. program in Experimental Psychology at Washington State University is among the oldest in the West. The Program has an established reputation for producing well-trained psychologists who contribute to basic and applied experimental psycholo...

Argosy University

Building upon the rich, more than 30-year tradition of graduate-level psychology programs at our American School of Professional Psychology, our degree programs are led by clinical practitioners with advanced degree credentials and years of applied knowledge and field experience to provide you with an education that reflects contemporary practices.

Argosy University

The Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology program offered by Argosy University is designed to educate and train those currently working or seeking to work in fields utilizing the practice of forensic psychology.

By entering my email address and clicking "Sign Up" I agree to be contacted by EducationDynamics for additional education products and services, this submission is not required to use our site. Privacy Policy.

EducationDynamics maintains business relationships with the schools it features.